Stephen Norris is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Sport Officer at the WinSport Winter Sport Institute based in Calgary, Alberta, and is charged with bringing together world-leading performance & development programming and the incredible facilities afforded by Canada Olympic Park, the Canmore Nordic Centre, and the Olympic Speed Skating Oval. Unique in its vision and purpose, WinSport Canada (a not-for-profit organization) has become the yardstick by which the world measures Olympic legacies and winter sport development programs.

Previously, Stephen was the Director of Sport Physiology & Strategic Planning at the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary where he was focused on Canada’s Winter Olympic teams for three Olympic cycles (Salt Lake City 2002, Torino 2006, & Vancouver 2010) within the multidisciplinary team headed by Dr. David Smith.

In addition, Stephen played a key role as a primary consultant to the ‘Own The Podium’ program high performance/technical group (led by Dr. Roger Jackson), which was the agency tasked to spearhead Canada’s Winter Olympic Sport performances in the 5 years prior to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. He continues to work with Canada’s Winter Olympic Teams as a lead performance consultant, including the preparation for the most recent Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

Aside from these tasks, Stephen is one of the five founding members and contributors to the ‘Canadian Sport For Life’ movement concerning athlete/participant development and the concept of ‘physical literacy’ within Canada for over a decade. This particular pursuit Stephen considers to be the most important of his career due to the potential to positively enhance the lives of Canadians assuming that the essence of the ‘movement’ is embraced by all influential parties and agencies.

Increasingly sought after as pivotal speaker and presenter internationally, Stephen focuses upon the understanding and creation of sustainable systems and cultures aimed at performance and excellence. This is an area of attention for both sport and business endeavours and Stephen acts to help organizations move from early inspiration to continual implementation of specific processes, behaviours, and habits.

On a personal level, Stephen has extensive personal and professional experience of harsh environmental situations and extreme human performances under highly stressful conditions. He is an avid board sailor, snowboarder, mountain biker and paraglider pilot; attempts to participate in squash, tennis and golf, and is currently pursuing kitesurfing and wakesurfing (surfing behind a slow moving boat!), when time, weather, and water temperature permit!

Richard Monette B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.

Richard Monette talents span the disciplines of business, educations and sport psychology, all of which are linked by his ardent passion for improving human achievement and fulfillment.

In a career spanning 25+ years, Richard has acquired extensive academic credentials and practical expertise in business, athletics and education. Presently, Richard Monette leads “Active for Life”, an initiative dedicated to mobilizing the grassroots about the importance of physical literacy for children. Richard is also part of the leadership team at B2ten, a privately funded organization that supports elite Canadian athletes.

He is also a sport psychology consultant to Olympic and professional athletes, and consults with business leaders on the value of being purposeful.Richard is married, lives in Banff and is the proud “Papa” to two very active kids, as well as an avid minor sport coach, golfer and hiker.

Colin Higgs Ph.D., M.Sc, M.Ed, B.Sc.

Dr. Higgs is Professor Emeritus at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, where, before his retirement, he served as Professor and Dean of the School of Human Kinetics. Trained in the United Kingdom, the USA, and Canada he holds advanced degrees in sport science, educational technology, and sport system organization.

Much of Dr. Higgs work has been in the area of improving sport for persons with a disability, including the design of equipment and optimization of training and performance techniques. In addition to his academic involvement he has coached athletes with a disability (and able bodied athletes) at World Championship level. This work was recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) when he became the first-ever recipient of the IPC Sport Science Award.

Since 2004 he has been one of five individuals working to fundamentally re-design the Canadian Sport system to improve the quality of sport, and has worked with more than 55 National Sport Federations to re-think the development of their athletes for enhanced high-performance and also for improved population health. A critical component of this sport-system transformation has been the focus on Physical Literacy – ensuring that children gain the competence and confidence to engage in physical activity throughout their lives. Dr. Higgs is the author of more than 100 academic publications, and co-authored, “Canadian Sport for Life – Long-Term Athlete Development” the blueprint for change within the Canadian system.

A past President of CAHPERD (now PHE-Canada), and Vice-President of the International Council for Sport Science and Physical Education, he has worked with physical education, sport, recreation and the health system to improve the lives of people everywhere.

Dr. Higgs is a well-known speaker at conferences in Canada and around the world, and has worked with governments and sport organizations in more than 50 countries. His international work has focused on using sport to advance the lives of disadvantaged youth, and using sport as a tool to reduce gang violence, reduce drug and alcohol abuse, and reduce the incidence and impact of HIV/AID. His most recent international work was in Rwanda, using sport to reduce post-genocide tensions between the children of victims and children of perpetrators, and Azerbaijan where he worked with UNICEF to increase educational opportunities for children with a disability.

Colin now lives North of Kingston, Ontario where he shares his lakeside home with his wife Mavis and a multitude of wild animals.

Doug Gleddie BEd, Ph.D

Dr. Doug Gleddie is a husband and father who also happens to be an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta (Elementary Physical Education). In a career filled with change, the only true constants have been physical education / literacy, working with kids and, how joy fills the spaces in between. Although it took him a while to fully embrace this epiphanal thought, the journey itself has enabled Doug to work with a wide variety of people and organizations across Canada and around the world. Doug is currently researching narratives of movement and physical education as well as exploring the affective aspects of physical literacy. He takes care of his own wellness by being active with his family; improving his guitar picking and; seeking new challenges each day. Visit Doug’s blog at www.purposefulmovement.net